Wintery Weather

Sunrise 8:36 a.m.   Sunset  6:18 p.m.

It's true, we've been having wintery weather.  The kind that makes your toes wish for a pair of warm, fuzzy slippers when you skitter to the rest room in the middle of the night.  The kind that brings a lovely green glow the sky and the most amazing moons I've ever seen.  Though, you won't have known it today.  

Today we had overcast skies, but I didn't mind because the air warmed to a lovely 37 degrees.  I even wore short sleeves, with no coat, because frankly, I get darn tired of wearing a coat by spring time in Alaska.  So I was a rebel, and went without.  Dear God, please don't let me get sick.

I would have taken some pics of the auroras and the moon, but I've been busy.  Readying the house, the pets, and the suitcases for our trip.  Where are we going?  I'll tell you in a minute.  We have an awesome house/pet sitter.  For us, it's the best of both worlds, and worth every penny.  He takes care of the house, keeps the home fires burning, literally, and keeps the pets happy, fed, played with, and anxiety free.  Which in turn, leaves us anxiety free.  See?  No complaints.

Brent and I are off to Minnesota.  They've been having lovely weather and I certainly hope that they keep it around.  As you can tell by today's short sleeves, I am sooooo not ready for winter.  Let me tell you what I am ready for.  Laughter with friends, family, the ones that have known me for so many years that I can't remember when they weren't there.  Mom, Dad, family, family, family, hometown football games, Grandma and Grandpa.  SHOPPING!  Sorry, we have very little shopping here.  Can you tell?  Ha!  Familiar places, familiar faces, my nephews and my darling niece.  My Savannah girl, whom I miss so dearly that I have tears just hoping that she won't be shy, I need a Savannah hug.  She was only 3 when I left.  Shannon.  And more shopping!  

We've been loving our life in Alaska.  And truthfully, it hasn't really hit me how much I've been missing certain people from my "old" life.  Sometimes it feels like years ago, which technically it was, but let's not split hairs here people, other days it feels like we were just packing up that little aluminum trailer and hitting the not-so-dusty trail.  I had no idea how much I'd love it here, or how much my life would change.  How much I'd change.  

So, I'm signing off.  I'll check in when I can, but really, I make no guarantees.  I'm going to savor every moment.  Happy autumn!!!

Monotone Days

Ches and Brent at Nickel Lake

There is something particularly beautiful about a first snow.  It blankets everything, making all the ugliness of late fall disappear.  The last lingering leaves are coated with hoar frost and frosted off with a topping of light, fluffy snow.  It looks good enough to eat.  And then you do, and it tastes like dirt.  The picture, the thought of snow on your tongue is much more romantic than the actual taste.

This past weekend we headed to our favorite spot in the Donnelly area to roam around and shoot pictures of the newly fallen snow.  It really was beautiful despite the gray skies.  It's been pretty bleak here, and a glimpse of sun would go a long way right now.  But I have to admit, it's pretty.

Saturday we made a trip to Fairbanks for some things that we needed.  And Brent needed a haircut.  He's picky, to say the least, and he's cheap, which makes the treacherous winter drive to Fairbanks a necessity, in his mind.  The roads were terrible.  Our drive, which usually takes us 1.5 hours took us 2 hours and 10 minutes.  Too long.  Along the way there were numerous accidents, and evidence of accidents.  No moose.  Thank heaven for small favors.

Ghost Lake and the Delta River in the distance

While we were in Fairbanks we took the time to meet with my friend Susan and her hubby, Steve.  Susan and Steve had to make the terrible choice to put their beloved Sedona to sleep this past week.  And because I can only imagine how terrible that hurt is, I felt the urge to just hug Susan.  I know that when our time comes I won't be able to handle it well.  But let's not think of that.  You can read Sedona's story here.

We met Susan and Steve, whom I hadn't met before Saturday, at Gallo's in Fairbanks.  The food was okay, as is the case with most Alaska restaurants.  Sorry.  I have yet to find a meal that blows my socks off.  We immensely enjoyed our visit and it was great to have a face to put with Steve's name.  I'm looking forward to getting together with them more.

After lunch we managed to wrangle Brent a haircut and get out of dodge.  The drive home wasn't much better.  We saw some pretty gnarly accidents, a couple tow trucks and some very lucky, shaken drivers.  This is why we needed a relaxing drive on Sunday afternoon.

The above photo is really cool, in my mind anyway. The dark paths are made from animal bodies as they move their way through the tundra, knocking the snow/frost off as they move and munch.  Looks even cooler in real life.  Come on up!

Alaska Pipeline

This week has been pretty quiet.  Now that winter is upon us, we're snuggling in, enjoying the warmth of the fire powered heat, and loathing the constantly wet feet.  I hate socks!  The roads, even locally seem to be lacking at best, and I can only hope they improve as winter rolls on.  There are no animal pics because we have seen no animals.  None. Zip. Zero.  It's so disappointing.

We're getting geared up for a whirlwind trip to Minnesota to visit our families.  As always our trusty house/pet sitter will be watching the homestead, keeping the fire burning, the furkids fed, and the pipes thawed!  :)  That's always a good thing, and he's fantastic.  

Life has been boring.  I've been studying, Brent's been learning, as always, and anxiously awaiting colder weather so he can split more wood.  I have told you about his wood obsession, right?  We've been making lovely berry teas with the fruits of our summer picking, enjoying cozy dinners by firelight, and trying like mad people to keep the electric bill down.  I'll let you know if we succeed. 

Bundle up.  Stay warm! Happy Reading!

**Note:  For the record, the photos have not been taken in black and white.  This is the color of the sky the past few days.  Kinda gloomy, kinda mystical.  Enjoy!

Sunday Morning

It's a beautiful Sunday morning in the Interior of Alaska.  Beauty, I've learned, comes in different forms here, and your heart will be happier if you learn to appreciate all the beauty Alaska has to offer.  Summer is my favorite season, as the hills, trees, ditches, and mountains come alive.  But early winter or late fall in Alaska has a particular beauty as well.

We got a sprinkling of snow last night.  Not much, but enough to cover the ground.  Our world is slowly turning white.  Hoar frost covers the trees and brings a bulkiness and elegance to ratty old weeds that were previously ugly and brown.  The ground crunches underneath your feet, and you can hear silence every where you go.  The sky is dull and gray, but instead of being depressing it makes the perfect backdrop for the white blanket.  It's a somber feeling, a quiet feeling.

As I sit here sipping tea, made from the berries we picked, cleaned and froze by hand, laced with a bit of fireweed honey, I feel rather content.  The furbabes are snuggled up, napping after a busy morning of breakfast and a little bit of playtime in the yard while their toes adjust to the newly fallen white stuff.  They're happy to be wrapped in warmth from the flames dancing in the stove.

Brent had a touch of the flu yesterday, and I'm happy to report that he is fully recovered.  The sun is rising later, so we were both able to sleep in this morning.  Of course, with later sunrises also comes earlier sunsets, so by 9 p.m. we get awfully drowsy.

Brent is making breakfast, and it sounds like quite a production.  I can see him moving lively and happily in front of the stove, but I do not dare ask what he is cooking.  He likes to surprise me with his sometimes questionable concoctions.  Some day I'll have to tell you about when he blindfolded me in order to get me to eat the dinner that he prepared, early in our married years.

I like winter and all it's ambiance.  Of course that's easy to say since it's early in the year, and not late February.  But for now the world is white, quiet and oh so very pretty.  Of course my urge to drive anywhere is nil.  But my nerve will come with time.

Happy Sunday! Stay warm.

Batten Down the Hatches, Boys!

Well, it's been a while.  And while something tells me that I should feel guilty, I'm not.  I do this for fun, the blogging.  In the mean time, I 'm living.  That means, I share when I have time.  And since we've been trying to soak up every bit of autumn splendor, I haven't had much time for blogging.

The above photo is of Brent and Cash hunting at Castner Glacier.  It's a lovely hike, and I'm sorry that I didn't let Brent drag me out there sooner.  Anytime I hear the word hike, I cringe and dig my heels into the ground.  It's reminiscent of days spent hiking in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado.  He's drag me around every mountain at least 3 times.  I like to wander, watching the skies change above, not him.  He's more of a get there, get back kind of person.  Not so at Castner, it was such a nice, easy walk.  Easy pace.  Watching Cash and Ches dash in and out of the woods, the water and the dirt.  

This is Brent with the Alaska Range in the background.  This was before the "s" word fell and coated the mountain tops with fresh white powder.  He's standing on top of the world, showing me where he should have shot a moose.  No such luck for these newbies.  It was incredibly warm and while he saw a few cows with calves, no bulls.  Hmph.

Once you reach the peak on which Brent was standing you come down to view the glacier.  Not really what you picture a glacier to look like is it?  But it's awesome.  How absolutely unique to think that you can stand on a glacier.  It's pretty cool and I'm glad I saw.  I'm also looking forward to doing that hike again.  Really soon.

I prefer to be behind the camera, but this is me, holding the bear protection, while Brent snaps a photo.  It was such a nice day.

This is a lovely Soapberry bush.  A favorite food of bears, or so I read somewhere.  Of course, I stumbled upon this knowledge after I left the area, and it made me extra thankful that we had the bear protection along. Something stronger than mace x 100.  Ha!  Alas, we did not see a bear.  I think they're hiding from me.

Fall comes early in the Interior of Alaska.  Sometimes you have to be careful to blink or you will miss it.  This is a photo of the changing colors in early September, on Triple H Road, near our home.  Now the leafy trees are bare, and withered and decaying leaves litter the ground.  I should feel melancholy about it I suppose, but it's lovely to see more sunlight peaking through the tall trees.  And I will admit while winter is long here, it's particularly pretty.  

Lately we've been enjoying unseasonably warm temps.  We got our first sprinkling of snow on Sept. 26th, and much to my delight it didn't stick around.  The days are warm, hovering in the 40's and low 50's, and the nights are crisp.  Each morning we wake to a covering of glittery frost and the warmth of the wood stove.

I have missed the warmth that wraps around you like a soft, fuzzy blanket, except when the nights are warm and it becomes a sauna in here.  I have not missed the headaches that come with puffs of smoke escaping the door and blasting me in the face when I go to reload it.  The humidifier hums in the background, and lets little chugs here and there.

Brent had a nice birthday, I think.  I made him a fairly large dinner, since we so rarely eat out here.  His requests were simple, and I let him choose his guest list.  Since our home is smallish, okay, it's just plain small, we had 4 dinner guests, and 4 additional dogs.  Yes, it was mass chaos in the house of Kings...6 dogs, 6 people.  5 square feet.  I made him salmon cakes and grilled oysters with chili-lime salsa for starters, for dinner we had roast grouse, braised brisket, au gratin potatoes and roasted acorn squash with maple/orange glaze.  We had some slightly over done bread, which is pretty much the norm for me, and for dessert his beloved German chocolate cake.  Straight from home in Minnesota.  Provided by my mom.  :)  I'm not much of a baker, so it was a perfect compromise.  :)  He had a great day with great friends!

I must go, both dogs are alerting to something in the yard.  Knowing Cash it's just a leaf drifting across the driveway...but since Chessa is alert, I think it might be worth the look.

Happy day to you all!!!

Yikes...Slacker Alert!

Sunrise  5:51 a.m.    Sunset  9:56 p.m.

Holy Moly!  This summer has flown by.  I can't believe it's been such a long, long, long time since my last post.  I won't bore you with gory details or meticulous time lines since there's been such a gap in blogging.  I'll do us all a favor and give you a brief little time line of life.  In the last frontier.  In summer.

As you can tell by the above photo our puppy is now a man child.  He bounces somewhere between precocious and down right annoying.  We went through about a month period of time when we all wanted to give him back, and even though he keeps us hopping, he's ours, for the long run. I love that little big booger.  We'll get back to Cash later.

In true King family dog form, they both LOVE to ride.  As you can also tell by the above photo.  When we "lose" them, it's now common knowledge to check the back of the ATV first.  And since we all love to ride, it's not too much of a hardship to please them.  This year we have been sticking on trails closer to home.  With the wet and many busy, busy friends, we just don't have the explorer notion this year.  We enjoy the trails close to home just as much, so no complaints from any of us.

Please rest assured that despite the fact that they look like they could rip the skin from each other's limbs, both Cash and Early (think deep south hillbilly) LOVE each other.  They are surprisingly gentle and thoroughly enjoy the chase, the hunt, the nipping and the biting.  Just don't expect them to share bones or toys.  That's just asking too much.  And don't bother to ask Ches what she thinks of Early, as she spends all of her time, rounding him up and out of her house.  Early is laid back and oh, so lovable, but our Chessa girl will have none of it.  

Have I told you how much I love my job?  I truly do, though I will admit there may be a day or two, or maybe even a week sprinkled in, that I would tell you that I don't.  But there's a reason I've stuck with the profession for so long.  I do love my job.  Especially here.  It affords me the luxury of getting to know the most fascinating people.  I get to know what brings them here, whether permanent or not.  This is exactly how I met my friend Dennis (in the camo jacket above) and his friend Jared, whom has a very important military title and if I wasn't so deficient in my knowledge of such titles I would be able to impress you all with that information.  

Dennis called the office one day looking for a rental.  In true Lusignan form (thanks Dad) we got to chatting and I shared my blog (yes, this blog) and tried to give him a very true idea of Alaska.  Though I don't really know if that's possible since it's such a personal feeling, personal experience.  Anyway, Dennis and I became friends, and chatted regularly.  Then he came to visit.  And though we didn't get to spend nearly as much time as we'd like, we managed to have some dinner and knock back a couple Coors Light's.  I'm looking forward to getting down Dennis' way and staying in that gorgeous hand-crafted cabin of his.  Thanks for visiting!!! Don't be a stranger.  I'd love to meet your beautiful wife.

As most of you may know it's been a wetter-than-average summer.  This is fine and dandy by me, though a bit more sun, and a little more warmth would have been okay, it has made for a glorious, bountiful berry season.  In June we spent more than a couple days picking, cleaning and freezing these luscious blueberries.  We have already enjoyed them in pie, pancakes and cobbler.  It's going to be a fruity winter, indeed.  Ha!

Our Chessa girl is doing well.  She turned 13 this summer.  And though she's slowed, and her nose isn't quite as good as it used to be, she is our beautiful, beautiful and oh-so-perfect dog.  She loves to hunt voles, even though most of the time it's my foot she's finding.  She's spent boundless time in Clearwater Lake, the pool and guarding the house from stray dogs.  She tolerates Cash, and it will be interesting to see how she does with the next addition to our home.

Now, you didn't really think I'd open that can of worms and leave you hanging, did you?  Nope.  I'm not really a secret keeper.  Brent and I have been having a very exciting summer.  We have started the process of adoption.  We are hoping to add to our family by two (or four) feet in the very near future.  At the moment we are plugging away at our home study, and are blessed to be working with a wonderful caseworker.  It's been said that we could have an approved homestudy as soon as September's end.  

That's when the real waiting will begin.  So please keep us in our thoughts and prayers.  We'll need patience, guidance and understanding on our side.  Also, please keep all birth parents in your thoughts and prayers.  For without them, Brent and I may never have a family.

Since we'd been having such a stressful summer (yeah right!) I decided to whip together a girls' night.  Actually, in truth, I had been meeting so many wonderful new people, without enough time to spend with all of them, so I decided to throw them all into one room (or house or yard but who's counting hairs here) because I knew it would be a blast!  I was NOT disappointed.  I always ask the same thing.  Bring a friend, and a dish to pass.  Glorious!!

Above are my Alabama friends, Hayley and Amy.  I thought I'd throw them together and give them a little taste of home.  They had a lot of common denominators and interests.  Well, duh!

And this is Matt and Courtney.  They look like they're having a good time, right?  What you don't see is the fact that they are torturing me.  Courtney (my friend, boss, nemesis) and Matt, a friend I met by chance, love to plan my career demise.  What they don't know is, that they'd both miss me terribly.  Especially Courtney, since my purses would leave with me...  

In truth, it's in all good fun, and we had a GREAT time.  Such a nice, relaxing evening.

This is my favorite part of every girls' night.  The plethora of food, the smorgasbord of delightfulness.  It's so great to see what everyone comes with.  We had a wonderful Puerto Rican coconut custard treat, fruit and dip, pretzel salad (a personal favorite) kabobs, meat and cheese platter, homemade fudge, spinach dip, a lovely strawberry trifle, and so much more deliciousness.  You'd have thought the place would have been quieter... LOL.  I cannot wait to do it again!

In addition to all this loveliness I have managed to sprain an ankle, pick delicious high bush cranberries, nurse Cash back from a (likely) encounter with a foxtail.  Which we hope he is on the mend now.  And enjoy the tropical heat wave that hit us last week.  It was such a heat wave that we managed to break a record in Fairbanks.  I believe the new temp record is now in the low 90's.  

However, fall is upon us.  And I will not lie, had we just a smidge more sun, I would be in hog heaven.  Fall is my most favorite time of year.  The smells, the cool nights that are perfect for sleeping, darkness comes back and allows for my head to rest sooner and longer upon the pillow.  We are mostly prepared for winter, and hoping that it doesn't come too soon.  

Happy Summer to you and yours!!  

Time Flies...When You're Having Fun!

Sunrise 3:46 a.m.   Sunset  11:48 p.m.

Howdy!  Well, when I was talking to Dad tonight he informed me that he was waiting, none-so-patiently for me to update the blog.  He's right, I haven't updated in quite a while, so I'll hit the highlights.

Mom and Dad came to visit!!!  They arrived on June 17 and stayed until June 27.  We wanted to show them everything that we loved to do.  Unfortunately the weather, and time constraints, and JET LAG rained on our party.  Just a little tiny bit.  But all-in-all, we found a little time for fun. 

We decided that splitting up and hitting the highlights for each parent was the best way to go about things.  Easiest, and more fun for all of us.  Dad and Brent hit the not-so-dusty trail seeing Coal Mine Road, Ken's Pond and a little bit of neighborhood the first couple days.  Mom and I headed for North Pole and Fairbanks.  We stopped and browsed and snacked on ice cream at The Knotty Shop.  We listened to others tell Santa where they hailed from at the Santa Claus shop, and we hit up all kinds of little shops in downtown Fairbanks.  

Mom and Dad celebrated their 39th wedding anniversary while staying with us.  What a treat!  Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad!! Here's to many, many more years!!

On the Sunday following their arrival we headed bright and way too early, to Valdez.  It was Father's Day and to celebrate we decided to take our time getting to Valdez, site seeing along the way.  Above is a photo of Mom and Dad at Thompson's Pass.  It's lovely and green this time of year, but I'm not so anxious to take the same photo 6 months from now.  

The drive to Valdez is lovely.  We cruised off the beaten path to check out some historic sites.   Along the way we stopped at a couple of the many waterfalls that greet visitors along the road.  This is Brent and I are Horsetail Falls.  We hiked up to take a photo with the water, me in flip flops, none-the-less.

Once we arrived in Valdez we headed straight to the Totem Restaurant for some breakfast. After we had finished our delicious grub we headed to the pier to check out the fishing reports.  We were ecstatic to learn that Brent and Dad's charter had brought in the largest halibut for the week.    After checking with the locals the guys learned that their charter was one of, or the best, charter in Valdez.

Oh, if only.  If only they hadn't risen so early to make it to the pier on time.  If only they hadn't spent so many hours on a boat, if only it was called catching instead of fishing, as my husband reminded me.  If only they hadn't gotten SKUNKED.  Skunked.  You heard me.  Not one flippin' halibut.  PFFFFFFFFFFFFT.  They said that they captain worked hard, kept them out a couple hours late in attempt to get them some big fish.  But nothing.  Not. A. Fish.  I dare say I was extremely disappointed and relieved that I hadn't joined them on the charter.  

While the boys were off fishing, Mom and I caroused the town of Valdez.  While it's a nice little town, there isn't a lot of shopping to be had, and we were hard pressed for good wholesome entertainment.  We managed to find a few laughs, dodging the maids, trying to stay awake during some horrible Lifetime movie.

While we were waiting, freezing-our-buns-off waiting for the guys to return from their "fishing" trip, we met a nice couple from Hilton Head, SC.  They, and their young son, were traveling the US in an RV.  They spent some time in Alaska last summer and couldn't resist so they came back to end their year long adventure in the wilds of Alaska.  We thoroughly enjoyed talking to them, spending our time, trying to capture the eagles.  That was the draw for all of us.  Magnificent bald eagles.  I managed to capture this guy, as he flew in to grab some halibut leftovers (in his talons) through a flock of seagulls. 

When we got the guys back, and had enough of Valdez we headed for home.  We were all exhausted from the jet lag, the fresh sea air, the late nights, early mornings and well, we were exhausted.  It was nice to have a little time at home.  For all of us.  Brent and I had to go back to work for a couple days, so Mom and Dad putzed around the house, oh, who am I kidding, they washed my windows, mowed my lawn, cleaned my house, did my laundry, all while they were on vacation.  I thoroughly enjoyed it, but it didn't seem fair to me.

After a couple days rest, we threw in some drives, exploration, more fishing, more fishing, more fishing, and flower capturing.  Mom picked me a lovely bouquet of irises, we listened to the glorious, and eerie call of the Loon.  My first Loon experience here in Alaska.  Mom and I snuck in a little more shopping, and to end it all. WE PARTIED!

Because our house is small, we tend to party in the summer, when we have outdoor space.  Well, the weather wasn't quite as cooperative as we would have liked, but we partied anyway.  Rain or shine, nothing scares these Alaskans (and two Minnesotans).  LOL.  We invited friends whom we share our time with here in Alaska to meet the parents, and just spend a little time getting to know others.  I think a fine time was had by all.  We're looking forward to doing it again.

This is Tara guarding her bird nest, which her brother demolished later.  And her new friend, Charlie.  Charlie is new to Delta Junction, and moved her from Alabama.  Oh, and she brought along her mom and dad too. LOL.  

The meal wasn't fancy, but it seemed to suit the bill.  We had tacos.  Why not, right?  And even turned some non-fish taco eaters into fish taco eaters.  We did it up right with beef, chicken and fish tacos.  We were hoping to have halibut tacos, but we substituted some mighty fine tilapia instead.  Better luck next time boys!

When the evening was over we cleaned up, quickly and headed to bed.  Dad and Mom had a 3:30 a.m. wake up call, and I lucked out at plopping a hat on and running at 4:20 a.m.   We drove the windy road to Fairbanks and were greeted by loads of wildlife.  What a send off!  5 moose, a fox (we think) and Mom saw a wolf.  Lucky lady!

Their visit was lovely, but too short.  We're looking forward to their trip next summer.  Right, Dad?!?! LOL.  We'll see...but we are looking forward to their return.  

What have we been doing since they left?  Sleeping.  Ha!  Just kidding...I'll be back with later! Happy Summer!!!

Summer, Summer, Summer

Sunrise 3:24 a.m.   Sunset  11:59 p.m.

Hello from Central Alaska!  Summer is here.  Which explains why I've been MIA- I've been out playing.  Having fun, exploring the unexplored, by me, anyway.  And visiting some favorite spots, as well.

Since my last post we have seen and enjoyed Portland.  Loved Cannon Beach and all it's salty sea air.  We saw Goonies Rock, which is awesome, and admired trees, trees and more luscious green trees.  In Seattle we met up with friends for a drink before heading back to Fairbanks.  It was great to see Crystal and Ken, after working for her for a few years, it was nice to just relax and enjoy each others company.

After unpacking and reuniting with the furkids we settled back in life on the Last Frontier.  Memorial Day Weekend found us picking up our boat...FINALLY.  Brent has been anxiously checking the mail, the phone and the email every 3 minutes for weeks.  I have never been so glad to have to make a trip to Fairbanks in my entire life.  

Saturday we attempted to get out, but with 2 dump truck loads of gravel to shovel, we found ourselves working instead of playing.  Finally, late Saturday evening we managed to head out to our favorite area in the Donnelly area of lakes.  Of course, we knew that finding a free lake was going to take some time.  

Brent and the furkids tromped up and down dale and hill to find a free one.  And when we did, we all celebrated.  The dogs love to run, but don't love to be reigned in mid-sniff.  I mean, after all they may miss a rabbit trail...

Once we found an unoccupied lake, Brent set about inflating our new flotation device.  We were all excited, well, scratch that, Brent and I were excited to try out the new boat.  Unfortunately, Cash and Ches were more interested in gulping fresh lake water and swimming, swimming, swimming.  

In the interest of sanity, Brent and I decided that he and Ches would make the maiden voyage while Cash and I watched from shore.  So, they hopped aboard, we pushed them off, and about 5 ft. from shore Ches projectile vomited all over Brent and the new boat.  I wish I had a camera to capture the look on Brent's face.  Somewhere between sheer rage and udder disgust.  He maneuvered back to shore and we gave up the boat for the evening.

After indulging Ches and Cash in plenty of water play, we took off for home.  We were thoroughly enjoying the late night sun, lamenting a bit about how we "never see any buffalo" and voila!  As if sent to us, they were there.  Lots and lots of buffalo.

And then even more buffalo.  So we sat and enjoyed every bit of the experience.  They mulled around, interested, then suddenly stampeded off towards the majestic mountain range.  I wish they had stuck around a little longer.

As always the scenery near Donnelly is fantastic.  The mountains were out and proud, and waiting to be admired.

This is a photo of one of the forest fires burning near Delta on Memorial Day weekend.  Luckily we've gotten some rain, and the fires (and smoke) have subsided slightly.  It continues to rain, and hopefully it will work in putting out the rest of the fires in the area.

This is the sun at 11:15 p.m. on Saturday, Memorial Day weekend 2010.

We also grilled with friends, took in the local Memorial Day service at the cemetery, and picnicked and napped...and well, just enjoyed the weekend.  Oh, and lucky hubby worked, too.

This past weekend proved to be equally busy as the one before. Friday we were both beat and hit the hay early.  Saturday found me holding a Sassy party and readying the food, the troops and the camper for our first outing.

Saturday morning we woke to more rain, which was welcome, but irritating, and cooler temps.  Luckily in the afternoon it warmed up and we managed to get out and enjoy the cool, damp, but lovely weather.  All in all, the first night in the pop up was a grand success.  Despite the hundreds of pin-sized bloodsuckers preying on us in our sleep.

Sunday we headed for home, napped, played, walked, napped a little more.  Work, play, work, play.  The cycle of life, as it were.  Tonight we are getting more rain.  And while I know that it's needed in the area to help combat the forest fires, I can't help but dream a little dream, involving sun!

Happy Summer!